A substance that is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Metals have a number of characteristic properties, such as ductility, malleability, and being shiny. These properties can be understood in terms of the quantum mechanics of electrons in solids, particularly using the concepts of energy bands and the Fermi surface. In particular, the existence of a metal is due to an energy band being unfilled. A metal is sometimes described as being a lattice in a ‘sea’ of electrons. It is the free electrons that are responsible for the good electrical and thermal conduction of metals. In a metal, the atoms are packed together closely, with these atoms being atoms of electropositive elements. Most elements are metals, with mercury being the only element that is a liquid metal at room temperature.